My Big Brother
by guineamania
Summary: When Enjolras first meets Grantaire, the first thing he feels is that he has been replaced. Prequel to Baby Barricade


_**10/3/14**_

**Here is the next one-shot in my Baby Barricade series; I said I was going to continue it and the next segment is here much earlier than expected because FayLily won another of my one-shots and asked for more. This one is set about 6 months before Baby Barricade and explained Grantaire coming into Enjolras' family.**

**The ages of all the amis in this are:**

**Combeferre – 6**

**Enjolras – 4**

**Jehan – 4**

**Grantaire – 2**

**My Big Brother**

The first time Enjolras saw Grantaire he was four years old and incredibly confused. His mother just walked in the front door with a two year only infant asleep in her arms. The first thought that crossed his mind was that he had been replaced; his mother was known for ditching things as soon as she found something better, younger or more expensive and the young Enjolras thought he was next. So as his mother walked straight past him without any recognition he followed into what used to be his nursery and was now the intruder's it seemed. When his mother laid the little baby boy into the crib Enjolras hoisted himself up on the bars and peered inside. He had to admit the little baby was sort of cute; the toddler was slightly chubbier than the small child Enjolras was and Enjolras was entranced watching the small child toss and turn with his thumb resting in his mouth and staunching the whimpers that squeezed past his little pink lips. He heard the door slam and drunken shouting echo up the stairs from his new stepfather and winced as his mother left in a hurry. The baby began to wake up and cry in his mother's wake and Enjolras was at a loss of what to do; so he thought back to what his mother used to do for him when he would get scared at night. With a small smile, Enjolras looked into the baby's piercing golden eyes and his heart broke seeing tears gathering there. But that didn't mean that he liked the imposter, of course not. Enjolras gritted his teeth and pulled himself up and climbed the bars on Grantaire's crib and curled up next to his little brother, cradling him close to his slightly larger frame. They both slept soundly and the sleep from a small smile growing on Enjolras' face.

XXX

In the morning, it seemed that waking up with Enjolras' by his side had made the new child very clinging to his brother. "Julien sweetie," Enjolras' mother chirped, holding the little child in her arms. Enjolras glowered at her, his little face clouded with a pout; she always used to carry him like that. His drunk of a step-father lingered in the doorway with a bottle resting limply in his fingers and a grimace plastered on his face as it always seemed to be. "This is Nicolas and he's going to be living with us and your little brother now," she smiled softly, kneeling down so Enjolras could examine the child; he just humphed and sat down cross legged with his arms folded and pout growing. "And I really hope two of you will get along," she added with a barely veiled threat at the little boy to try playing with his brother.

"But Mummy," Enjolras sulked as she lay Grantaire on the floor with his stuffed lion that seemed to travel everywhere in the toddlers small grip.

"No buts Julien, look after your brother. We will be upstairs. Anyway Lucien and Jean are coming round soon so the three of you can play with him," his mother added, standing up and swishing her platinum blonde hair over her shoulder with a cold grace before striding out of the room leaving them alone. For a few moments they sat there awkwardly before Enjolras grunted, turned on some children's TV show on Cbeebies that he hoped Grantaire would like and resumed his colouring. While Grantaire seemed to be transfixed by some show about a woman and a spotty aeroplane, that Enjolras had never seen before, Enjolras tried to focus on his colouring but was constantly distracted by little giggles erupting from the other side of the room.

By the time Combeferre and Jehan arrived with their parents, Enjolras had abandoned all hope of getting anything done as he waited and just laid there on his back waiting hopefully for the doorbell to ring at last. When it finally did Enjolras was on his feet within seconds and leapt over Grantaire to reach the door. Combeferre and his mother stood on the doorstep when Enjolras finally swung the heavy door open. By the time he had prised the door fully open, reaching up on his tiptoes to reach the door handle; Enjolras' mother had arrived and welcomed the duo inside just as Jehan ran down the drive with his plaited hair streaming out behind him. They all settled down in the living room with Jehan, Combeferre and Enjolras all sat in a circle, Grantaire still watching the TV and the three mothers settled on the TV gossiping behind them all. Their mothers thought the children wouldn't understand what they were talking about, they were wrong. Enjolras, Combeferre and Jehan were well-read on public issues and loved to keep up to date with the latest news; gossip was obviously the best way to do so. Unfortunately that week there wasn't much news and the most interesting part occurred when Grantaire was taken out of the room by Enjolras' mother for his nap. "I feel so sorry for that poor child," Mrs Prouvaire sighed while Mrs Enjolras was out of earshot. "He must have had such a hard little life with his father's drinking problem and the past trauma he has suffered," she added and Mrs Combeferre nodded.

"I hope being in this nice family with a sweet brother and a great group of friends will make it better for him," Mrs Combeferre added, sipping on her cup of tea slowly. Combeferre looked at Jehan, Jehan looked at Combeferre and they both made a silent pact. Whatever it was that Grantaire had been through sounded horrible and these two kind hearted boys would never let it happen to him again. And that was how Jehan and Combeferre became Grantaire's lifelong friends that would help and nurture him through thick and thin when he didn't want anyone's help, but clearly needed it.

XXX

**By the way the children's show mentioned is a quite old show called Come Outside…that my brother loved so I was watching videos of it throughout my childhood!**


End file.
